While the Trump administration continues to roll back EPA regulations, suddenly the Chinese government seems to be doing the opposite.  Why?  The answer lies in wet market economics. 

Famed economist Xi Zhang (no relation) is the head of China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), in which he is the only member.  He explains his carbon reduction plan, “My reduced carbon strategy is the most efficient way to keep the endangered species at just the brink of extinction. It’s a very difficult balancing act to maintain the optimal price points, which are directly proportional to animals’ endangered level.  Let me tell you, this is not as easy as currency manipulation.  If we let these animals become totally extinct, then it will take significant effort to target new animals to force into endangered status.  It’s more efficient to keep today’s endangered ecosystem balanced than to create a new one.  One example of our innovation is to use poison guns to shoot the critically endangered Siberian Tiger that is only found in the birch forest of Russia and in Far East China. These non smoking guns produce no carbon footprint, so kill animals cleanly without disturbing their habitat. This way, wet market customers can continue to enjoy Sweet and Sour Siberian Tiger and other endangered delicacies!”